روحيmy soul فِداءُa ransom for عصابةٍa headband زَرقاءِblue
روحي فِداءُ عصابةٍ زَرقاءِ
لَمّتgathered شُعورَthe tresses مَليحةa lovely woman حَسناءِbeautiful
لَمّت شُعورَ مَليحة حَسناءِ
My soul is a ransom for a blue headband
My soul is the ransom of a blue-eyed band
That gathered the tresses of a lovely beauty.
That braided the hair of a pretty, beautiful one
ماnot زَيّنَتكِit adorned you وَإِنَّماbut rather زَيّنتِهاyou adorned it
ما زَيّنَتكِ وَإِنَّما زَيّنتِها
بِجوارهاthrough its nearness لجبينكto your brow الوضّاءِradiant
بِجوارها لجبينك الوضّاءِ
It did not adorn you; rather, you adorned it
It did not adorn you, but adorned her
Through its nearness to your radiant brow,
With its proximity to your bright forehead
وَدُنوّهاand its closeness مِنto مُقلةan eye مَكحولةlined with kohl
وَدُنوّها مِن مُقلة مَكحولة
فَتّانةٍbewitching فَتّاكةٍdeadly حَوراءِwith a deep-black iris and bright whites
فَتّانةٍ فَتّاكةٍ حَوراءِ
And its closeness to a kohl-lined eye,
And its nearness from an alluring eyelash
Bewitching, deadly, with deep black against bright white.
Of a charming, fatal, houri-like one
إِنindeed الجمالbeauty إِذاwhen تجمّعcomes together شَملهits scattered parts
إِن الجمال إِذا تجمّع شَمله
فَالوَيلthen woe كُلall الوَيلwoe للشعراءِto the poets
فَالوَيل كُل الوَيل للشعراءِ
Indeed, when all of beauty comes together,
Indeed beauty, when it is brought together
Then woe—utter woe—to poets!
Then woe, all woe, to the poets
Sol 6.1